BYU Cougars vs Utah Runnin’ Utes Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our BYU vs Utah NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Salt Lake City.

BYU vs Utah Prediction

Planning on watching today's Cougars and Runnin' Utes game? Catch the action at Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, UT, as the Runnin' Utes hosts this showdown at 9:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this game is set at 151.5 points, and Utah is favored by -1.5 vs. BYU in a Big 12 conference matchup.

BYU vs. Utah Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: BYU Cougars at Utah Runnin' Utes
Where: Salt Lake City at Jon M. Huntsman Center
Date: Saturday, January 18th
Betting Odds UTAH -1.5, BYU -110 | UTAH -110 O/U 151.5

Cougars Preview: Will the BYU Defense Show Up on the Road?

BYU improved to 11-5 on the season with an 85-69 win over Oklahoma State on Tuesday. The Cougars, who were -14 favorites, covered the spread in the victory.

BYU jumped out to a 46-26 lead in the first half, but allowed 43 points in the second half while scoring 39. The total points for the game ended at 154, going over the 147.5-point line.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

BYU's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 85 points with a 51.9% shooting performance from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 63.5%, thanks in part to their 42.9% shooting from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of 28 attempts.

Trevin Knell led the way with 18 points, connecting on 4 of 9 threes, while Jamyron Keller added 15 points, hitting 4 of 6 from deep. Dallin Hall was perfect from the field, going 4 for 4, including 3 for 3 from three-point range.

Cougars Team Defense

BYU's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 69 points while allowing the opposing team to shoot 51% from the field. The Cougars had a tough time defending inside, where they allowed 62% shooting on two-point attempts.

From beyond the arc, BYU's defense allowed 12 threes on 28 attempts, a 42% shooting performance. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 27 times, where they converted 19 of those attempts.

Runnin' Utes Preview: Can Utah Live Up to the Hype at Home?

Utah Runnin' Utes Recent Game/Games

The Runnin' Utes improved to 10-6 on the season with a 73-65 road win over TCU on Wednesday. Utah entered the game as +4.5 point underdogs but managed to cover the spread with the win.

Utah led 30-26 at halftime and scored 43 points in the 2nd half while allowing 39. The game’s total points of 138 fell short of the 143.5 O/U line.

Runnin' Utes Offense Breakdown

Utah's offense put up 73 points in their last game, shooting 49% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 55.1%. They hit 64.3% of their two-point attempts but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 28.6% of their threes (6/21). At the free-throw line, they made 19 of 29 attempts, good for 65.5%.

Vasean Allette led the way with 19 points and 9 rebounds, despite shooting 37.5% overall. Gabe Madsen added 17 points but hit only 26.7% of his shots, including 2 of 11 from three. Keanu Dawes was efficient, scoring 16 points on 7 of 10 shooting, while Noah Reynolds and Brendan Wenzel each contributed 12 points, with Reynolds hitting both of his three-point attempts.

Runnin' Utes Team Defense

Utah's defense held their opponent to 65 points, with a field goal percentage of 37% (24/64). They limited two-point attempts to 17/44 shooting (38%).

From beyond the arc, Utah allowed 7 threes on 20 attempts (35%). Their opponent struggled at the line, hitting just 10/21 free throws (47%). Utah also gave up 15 offensive rebounds.

Cougars vs Runnin' Utes Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last five road games, BYU has an ATS record of just 0-5. However, their overall record was 0-5 while averaging 67 points per game.
Across the Runnin' Utes last three home games, the team averaged 62 points per game while allowing 76. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-2, while going 1-2 straight-up.
Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, BYU has an ATS mark of 3-6-1 while going 1-9 straight up.
Against the spread, the Runnin' Utes have put together 1-2 in their last three games as the betting favorite. In these same games, they went 3-0 straight up.